Can track



June 4, 1957 R. K. GALLOWAY CAN TRACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1952 FllEi l Eta! ATTORNEY June 4, 1957 R. K. GALLOWAY 2,794,533

CAN TRACK Filed Dec. 1, 1952 s SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR ROBERT K. GALLOWAY BY W ATTORNEY June 4, 1957 R. K. GALLOWAY 2,794,533

CAN TRACK Filed Dec. 1, 1952 a Shets-Sheet s INVENTOR ROBERT K. sALwww BY W "Y/ ATTGRNEY 'ing' through a filling machine.

United States Patent 2,794,533 Patented June 4, 1957 CAN TRACK Robert K. Galloway, Hoopeston, 111;, assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, San-Jose, Galifi, a corporation of Delaware Application December 1, 1952, Serial No. 323,407

7 Claims. (Cl. 198-433) It is an object of the present invention to provide a V conveyor track capable of supporting a container in an upright, stable position during a rapid movement in a curved path through a rotary filling machine.

Another object is to provide a conveyor track adapted to support containers in a position tilted inwardly toward the center of the rotary path in which the containers are moving to counteract spilling of liquid, or the like, from the container due to centrifugal action resulting from the movement of the container.

Another object is to provide a novel means for supporting a container on a track so that a minimum amount of interference is encountered between the track and irregularities on the bottom of the container.

Another object is to provide a conveyor track having means for independently adjusting the angle of tilt of the containers at variouspoints along the path of travel to obtain the most advantageous tilted position of each container at each phase of the filling operation with respect to the degree of curvature of the track, the density of the fluid being handled, and the speed of movement of the container in the machine.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent fi'om the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings;

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away and partly in section, of' a filling machine on which is mounted a conveyor track constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2'2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section of the container track of the present invention, shown detached from the filling machine to more clearly illustrate the novel manner in which acontainer is supported on the track.

Fig. 4' is a fragmentary plan view of the detached can track illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig; 5 is a perspective of a substantially straight',.two piece conveyor track constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated as detached from a filling machine.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, similar'to Fig. 5, but illustrating an adjusted position of one track member relative to the other.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating another adjusted position of one track relative to the other.

The adjustable conveyor track of the present invention is adaptable for general use for supporting and conveying various types ofopen-top containerswhile they aretravel- It is particularly well adapted for filling standard open-top cans and, for. convenience, will hereinafter be referred to as a can track.

In Fig. l the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a rotary filling machine adapted to dispense metered quantities of a liquid from a supply reservoir 12. The liquid is discharged from valves 13 into individual cans 14 which are moved through the machine by spaced arms 15 secured to a rotatable power driven turret 17. The cans 14 are fed from a feed table 18 into the machine by a rotatable feed disc 19, of the well known star type, and are moved, by the arms 15, along a circular path defined by an inwardly extending ledge 20 (Fig. 2) of a continuous curved guide rail 21. The guide rail 21 is supported by and secured to three spaced brackets 22 which are rigidly connected to the frame of the machine by cap screws 23. The rotation of the feed disc 19 is timed with the rotation of the turret 17 so that, as a can 14 enters the machine, it becomes aligned under one of. the metering type supply valves 13 which are carried by the turret. As each can and the associated valve move along. the circular path, a cam mechanism, not shown, actuates the valve to discharge a predetermined amount of liquid into the can. A rotary filling machine having the above-enumerated features, including a plurality of fluid metering valves adapted to be aligned withcans. and arranged to discharge liquid to the can as the can is moved through the machine, is disclosed in detail in my application for patent entitled Filling Valve, Serial No. 323,406, filed of. even date herewith. It is suflicient for the present disclosure to indicate that, in one such rotary fillingmachine, the filling of the cans may begin at the station indicated by the reference line A-A (Fig. 1:). and continue until the can reaches the station indicated by the reference line BB. After the. can is filled it is discharged from the machine onto a table 25.

During its movement through the filling machine, each can is supported on a can track 27 (Figs. 1 and 2). consisting of a flat, elongated, curved steel plate 28 and an upright, relatively thin rail 29. The rail 29" is made of steel and is curved in a substantially circular configuration (Fig. 1) along its length between the feed table 18 and the discharge table 25. The rail is-supported on the upper surface of the three spaced brackets 22 and-is secured by cap screws 31 (Fig. 2) to upstanding tabs 32 onthe brackets. Since each bracket'22 is secured by cap screws 23 to the stationary frame of the machine, the rail 29 is also held in a stationary position. The upper can-supporting surface of the rail has a rounded edge 29a, as seen in Fig. 2, providing apivotal contact with the can 14 as the plate 28 is raised or lowered in a mannerto be described presently.

The annular plate 28 is made in three curved sections 38, 39' and 40 (Fig. 1) and assembled to follow the configuration of the vertical rail 29 and to be substantially equidistant therefrom at all points throughout itslength. The abutting ends of adjacent plate sectionsare cut at an angle, as at 35, and are joined together on the underside of the plate by a steel strap 36 which overlaps theadjacent sections. In the joint between the sections 39 and 40 of the plate, the strap 36'is welded to the underside of the section 39 and is secured to the section 40 by cap screws 41' that. extend upwardly through openings in the strap 36. for threaded engagement in the section 40. The jointbetween sections 38 and 39 is identical to the above described joint.

The plate 28, which has considerable width to accommodate various sizes of cans, is secured at oneend, in any suitable manner, as by cap screws (not shown) to a horizontal surface of the feed table 18 and is secured at the other end to a horizontal surface of the discharge 7 table 25'. Intermediate its ends the plate 28 is' secured,

as by welding, to three T-shaped brackets or support member relative to the bracket 22 is accomplished by means of an elongated vertical slot 50 in the flange portion 46 through which the cap screws 45 extend for threaded engagement in the bracket 22. The adjusted position of each T-shaped support member 43 will determine the inclination of the can as it passes along the can track at the point where the associated bracket 22 is located.

1 A further adjustment of the plate 28 is made possible by the plate sections 38, 39 and 40 themselves since they are preferably made of steel and so proportioned as to possess a degree of fiexibility. It is to be noted that the joint between sections also is adjustable since partial loosening of the cap screws 41 will give a slight degree of looseness to the joint which will contribute to the flexible nature of the whole plate 28. Thus, the plate 28. can be raised or lowered at three spaced positions bymeans-of the T-shaped support members 43 and can be flexed throughout its length due to the flexibility of the material and the adjustable nature of the joints between sections.

It is a feature of the present invention that the can '14 tests on the conveyor track with supporting contactexisting at three positive points. This'novel relationship is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein it is seen that, since the can 14 overlaps the rail 29, the beaded rim 'of the bottom of the can is in contact with the rail 29 at two points 47 and 48. A portion of the beaded rim on the opposite 'side'of the can is in contact with the plate 28 at 49. Such a three-point supporting contact assures stability and prevents the rocking motion that occurs when a slight imperfection onthe lower rim of the can causes the can to have a two-point support when moving along a flat surface. Further, the friction between the can and its support surfaces is materially reduced by the three-point support.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 a developed view of the plate 28,

withdrawn from the filling machine 10, is illustrated to clearly show the possible adjusted positions of the plate 28 at various stations during the filling operation. It

will be evident that in regard to its adjustability, the plate 28 will function identically whether disposed in a straight or in a curved path.

Assume that, in each of the illustrations, of Figs. 5, 6

' and 7, one end 53 of the plate 28 is secured in a horizontal position to the feed table 18 and the other end 54 is secured in a horizontal position to the discharge table 25. The dot-dash reference lines 56 indicate that the surfaces, through which the line 56 passes, lie in the same horizontal 'plane.

The showing of Fig. 5 indicates an adjustment in which the middle T-shaped support member 43 has been lowered to obtain the maximum banking angle near the middle of the can travel, while the end members 43 have been adjusted to maintain the cans in a substantially upright'posiit moves onto the. plate end 53, gradually tips inwardly until it reaches the maximum bank over the center support member 43, and then reverses its action and gradually returns to an upright position at the discharge end 54.

The layout in Fig. 6 shows an adjustment where each support member 43 is lower than the preceding one so that the maximum bank is obtained during thefinal stagesof filling when the cans hold the most liquid. In many installations such as setting gives the best results.

The layout of Fig. 7 illustrates an adjustment where all the support members 43 have been lowered to form a Zuniform banking angle throughout most of the length of zgmgsse e v 4 the track. With such as setting the can reaches its maximum tilt at substantially the beginning of the filling cycle and maintains this position throughout the entire filling operation.

It is tobe understood, of course, that any desired number of brackets 22 can be mounted on the supporting frame of the machine so that adjustable T-shaped support members 43 may be provided wherever necessary to obtain a particular desired contour of can track in relation to the filling cycle. Also, if necessary, the plate 28 can be made in as many sections as desired to obtain the required track inclination. It will also be evident that, while the novel track of the present invention is particularly adapted for use with rotary machines that dispense liquids into cans, it is of general use in any filling operation wherein a moving container must be held in a tilted position. Accordingly, the use of the term can in the appended claims is to be considered as a generic usage including containers in general.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the apparatus of the present invention provides a novel, efficient, positive three-point support for containers as they are rapidly moved through a filling machine. This type of support eliminates swaying of the containers due to imperfections in the container or on the conveyor surface and minimizes the frictional drag of the supporting surface on the container. The novel adjustable track of the present invention makes it possible to obtain the most eflicient angle of tilt for the container at each phase of the filling operation and for each speed of rotation of the filling machine turret. The concept of a conveyor track having provision for supporting a can at a progressively increasing angle of tilt to counteract the centrifugal force, as the level of liquid approaches the top of the container, is a particularly desirable feature in high speed rotary filling machines.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A can track for rotary can filling machines comprising a fixed rigid track member, an adjustable track member of flexible material for adjustment thereof from a given course, said track members being circular and arranged concentrically adjacent each other and having surfaces cooperating to provide a support for a can spanning said members, a fixed support adjacent said flexible track member, and adjusting means connected between said support and said flexible track member and arranged to hold a portion of said track member displaced vertically from an adjacent portion thereof.

2. A can track comprising a fixed, rigid track member, a sectional track member adjacent said rigid track member including a plurality of elongated track sections adjustable relative to each other and disposed in longitudinal alignment, and means for securing the end portions of adjacent sections of said sectional track member in desired position of adjustment, said two track members cooperating to support a can in spanning position thereon.

3. A can track comprising a fixed, rigid track member, a sectional track member of deflectible material adjacent said rigid track member and having a plurality of elongated longitudinally aligned track sections having relatively adjustable joint portions between sections, said two track members cooperating to support a can in spanning position thereon, and means operatively connected to said deflectible track member for holding a portion of the member displaced vertically from an adjacent portion 'of the member.

4. A conveyor track comprising a support, a first track member secured to said support and having a can-support- .ing surface, a plurality of spaced brackets secured to said support for adjustment in a vertical directi0n,..a second track member secured to said brackets and having a can-supporting surface cooperating with the can-supporting surface of said first track member to support a plurality of cans spanning me two track members, said second track member being formed of a plurality of sections of deflectible material connected by loose joints, adjustments of said brackets in a lowering direction being effective to lower the elevation of portions of said deflectible second track members to eifect the tilting of cans at said portions.

5. A conveyor track for use with a rotary filling machine having a support frame and a turret rotatably mounted in said frame, said track comprising a plurality of brackets removably secured in spaced relation on said frame, -a segmental circular guide rail secured to said brackets to define the outer perimeter of a segmental circular path of movement of a can passing through the machine, an elongated upright rail secured to said bracket and having an upper rounded edge, said rail having a generally circular configuration throughout a portion of its length, and an elongated fiat plate mounted on said brackets for vertical adjusting movement, said plate having a configuration conforming to the configuration of said rail and being spaced substantially equidistantly from said rail at all points along its length, said plate further having an upper surface cooperating with the rounded edge of said rail to define a support surface for a container spanning the two track members, and said plate being made of a deflectible material permitting portions of the plate to be supported at levels lower than the level of said rounded edge.

6. A conveyor track comprising a support, a first track member secured to said support and having a can-supporting surface, a plurality of spaced brackets secured to said support for adjustment in a vertical direction, a second track member secured to said brackets and having a can-supporting surface cooperating with the can-supporting surface of said first track member to support a plurality of cans spanning the two track members, said second track member being formed of deflectible material, adjustments of said brackets in a lowering direction being eifective to lower the elevation of portions of said deflectible second track member to effect the tilting of cans at said portions.

7. A track for containers having a cylindrical body and a beaded bottom edge comprising an upper stationary track member having an upper container-supporting surface, a lower stationary track member having an upper container-supporting surface disposed adjacent to and parallel with and at a lower level than the support surface of said upper track member, can advancing means disposed in spaced relation adjacent said lower track mem her and movable in a direction parallel to said track members, said track members being so constructed and disposed relative to each other and to said can advancing means that the beaded circular bottom edge of a container spanning said track members and being propelled along said members by said can advancing means will lean toward said can advancing means and will have onepoint contact with said lower track member and two-point contact with said upper track member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,072,412 Anderson et a1. Sept. 9, 1913 1,226,448 Bills May 15, 1917 1,235,429 Brown July 31, 1917 1,427,265 Clear Aug. 29, 1922 1,544,862 Rogers July 7, 1925 1,654,875 Hansen Jan. 3, 1928 2,119,596 Mintert .Tune 7, 1938 2,267,744 Nordquist Dec. 30, 1941 2,665,005 Mundy Jan. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 466,851 Germany Oct. 11, 1928 

